I nearly made it. I almost had the keg of Guinness resting peacefully in the kegerator for two whole weeks before tapping it. But ultimately the taunting of won out. I was going to wait until Friday, but it was just too much. It didn’t help that yesterday my office tapped their own keg of Guinness (after weeks of nasty IPA’s).
So after suffering nearly two weeks of inferior beers purchased from the local grocery store, the delicious Guinness is back at Ryan’s Tavern and Smokehaus. Hooray!
I had another excellently productive Saturday.
Woke up at about 8am, paid a few bills, cleaned up my office a bit, and then Kelly went with me to to John’s Market so I could pick up another keg of Guinness. I keep saying I’m going to get something else (I’ve had Guinness pouring non-stop since October), but, well, what with St. Patrick’s Day coming in a few weeks, I figured I may as well leave the special Guinness tap and faucet attached to my kegorator, and keep the goodness flowing. I am, however, going to resist tapping it for another week or so. If I can. It taunts me.
After picking up the keg and doing some grocery shopping, Kelly and I tried to beat the rain to get some more pruning and yard work done. I’d picked up some lawn fertilizer / moss killer mix, to try and repair my moss-infested lawn. I spent some back-breaking time trying to rake the moss from the grass, and then spreading the mixture into what quickly became some large mud patches. I only got about half of the back yard done before I had to call it quits.
Part of why I ceased my lawn enhancing activities is that my brother T came over with his chainsaw to help me cut down my falling apricot tree (mentioned previously). Within two hours the tree was reduced to a 5 foot tall stump. It was a bittersweet thing to have to do. I loved that tree, it was gangly and hadn’t produced fruit since moving in, but it provided some beautiful texture to our yard. Sadly, it was beyond saving, and had started falling on another tree that was perfectly healthy. It had to go. A “cut off the foot to save the leg” kind of thing. Either way, I now have to get the stump removed and figure out what to replace it with.
And now, for your viewing pleasure (and a first for my blog) here’s a video that’s not a YouTube ripoff. Filmed by Kelly while I struck the killing blow. That smile at the end? It’s just me trying to hide my tears over what I’d just done.
[flashvideo file=wp-content/videos/2009-02-28_apricot-tree.flv image=wp-content/videos/2009-02-28_apricot-tree.jpg /]
Ax Men, look out!
Oh, and here’s a really nice shot Kelly took after the damage was done.
Today I had a dental exam. I have been a slacker when it comes to dental health, and now get to pay steeply for it. I get to go in for two rounds of fillings (total of four, three on one side of my mouth, one on the other), and a deep cleaning session or two with a periodontist. This is what I get for not going in for my regular cleanings for over 10 years. A lesson for all you young ‘uns, take care of your choppers.
Tonight Kelly and I went out for some dinner with friends. On our way, we stopped by the White Eagle Saloon for a couple pints. I really like the White Eagle, especially early before the live acts go on. It was empty while we were there, probably about 6 other patrons. Kelly and I had a couple pints of the nut brown ale while we got caught up on each others days.
Then at 6:30 pm we met Miranda and Brian at Trébol, a mexican restaurant in North Portland, for dinner. Had a great time hanging out with M & B, and the atmosphere and service at Trébol were fantastic, but I will say the food wasn’t great, not bad, but not fantastic for the price. Still, it was a good night out.
Today Kelly and I took a quick trip (for Valentines day) to the coast. We hadn’t been in way too long (over a year and a half), the weather was supposed to be decent, and we’ve had an urge to see the sea for several weeks now.
Kelly and I got up around 9am, she made some delicious pancakes, and then at about 11:30am we finally hit the road. We decided to take I-5 south to 99w, through McMinville to Highway 18 (which heads towards Lincoln City where we went a couple years back). This time however we wanted to head north.
The trip took forever, two and a half hours because of some terrible traffic, but once we hit 101 north it was smooth sailing. The destination was Pacific City, and it’s local brewpub Pelican Brewery for lunch.
It was beautiful there. Cold and windy, but beautiful. The brewpub is also very nice, sitting right on the beach with the view seen in the photo above. The place was packed and we put our names down, grabbed a beer, and stood outside and took in the view.
I got a pint of Tsunami Stout, which was a very dark smoky and strong stout. Very good. Kelly got a pint of the Kiwanda Cream Ale, which was clear and golden and was really, really tasty (I kind of wish I had gotten one, however there was quite the drive back so one was plenty for me).
While waiting (we waited nearly an hour, the restaurant was so busy) an ambulance and some fire & rescue vehicles pulled into the parking lot to the main beach area. One of the vehicles unloaded a couple jetski’s that buzzed out around the peninsula. A bit later, a coast guard helicopter flew in and started making slow circles around the end of the peninsula, obviously looking for someone. We never did find out what happened (and I can’t find any news about it at the moment) but I hope whoever they were looking for was found and all is well.
We were finally seated and had a delicious meal, albeit in a bit of a hurry since it was now nearing 4pm and we wanted to hit the highway and get over the coast range before dark.
Went north to Tillamook and took Highway 6 home. We got into town just about 6pm, and it was just getting dark. We decided to stop into a new-ish restaurant/bar, the Radio Room, for a beer before getting home. The place was pretty nice (though it somehow seems a bit too nice for the area, meaning, it doesn’t really fit in). They do have a nice patio with a gas fire pit, so we stood outside (avoiding some oddball and very goofy-sounding amateur theater being performed inside for the dinner guests). It’s a pretty nice place, and the patio will be really nice in warmer weather, though I’d like the place to have a better beer selection.
Anyway, it was a great day. Next time, we’ll have to make sure and get out of the house and on the highway much earlier so we can spend more time at the coast.
It’s been a crazy weekend so far.
Yesterday, to celebrate the end of a busy week at the work, I joined a few coworkers at Henry’s Tavern for some happy hour drinks and grub.
Later last night, Kelly and I met up with several friends at the Montage for dinner. The primary reason for the dinner was to meet up with our friend C, who was in town from New Jersey looking at some houses here in Portland (looking to move back after spending several years on the east coast). I hadn’t been to the Montage in many years, but their spicy mac & cheese is still utterly nummerific. The portion was quite small (smaller than I remember), but that’s probably a good thing, considering I could easily eat my weight of the stuff, and then die from a heart-attack. It would, however, be a very happy death.
C stayed with us last night and left early this morning (shortly after Kelly, who sadly had to work today). After the house was emptied, I sat and sipped coffee, tried to get caught up on all my blog reading, and played a bit of Call of Duty 4. At around 1pm I took advantage of the sunny (if cold) day and got a 2+ mile walk in, just wandering around the neighborhood. Felt pretty good to just get out in the sun for a bit.
Tonight Kelly and I had dinner plans with our friends Jason and Jen. Prior to meeting them we stopped in the Mash Tun for a beer. I hadn’t been there for a few months, and they redecorated the inside. It looks very nice, and it’s much more warm and inviting than the warehouse feel it had before. Plus, when we were there it was very empty and mellow, which suited my mood.
We met up with J & J at a tiki bar called Thatch at 7pm. Tiki bars aren’t typically my ‘thing’, as they tend to be places for fufu drinks and a brand of kitsch that I don’t typically find appealing, but this place (despite the street-side appearance) was pretty fun. It had a cozy and ‘warm’ feeling, with the right music and food options that made it feel like an escape from the usual (which is, I suppose, a must for any themed bar/restaurant). I will say, however, that the service was less-than-warm (the server seemed a bit ‘too cool for school’ and at one point was kind of rude to Kelly, which automatically made me hate the wench), and the food was pretty spendy for the portions. However, overall, it was a good time.
After leaving Thatch, the four of us headed down the street to the Rose & Thistle for another round of drinks and some more grub.
Had a good couple nights out. Now, if only I could spend tomorrow in solitude, but alas, we have dinner plans with my folks. Oh well.
